You know, it is hard to write this story. I would appreciate any comments that anyone who reads this has. However, only constructive comments will be acknowledged.

So, I ask that people review. After all, comments help me get ideas going and I feel more like posting another chapter sooner than I normally do after reading helpful comments.

On that note, please read and enjoy.

(Disclaimer: I do not own X-men)

Chapter 5

(Same day, some minutes after end of last scene)

"So where do we head from here?" Kurt asked.

"I head about on my business and see what I learn." replied Rogue.

"Ya mean alone, petit?" Gambit inquired.

Wolverine quickly interjected, "Not a chance in-"

Maddie interrupted, "Watch your mouth young man!"

There were various reactions from all four X-men at this comment. Wolverine shut up and had a disgruntled look on his face, Gambit was looking at Maddie with something close to admiration in his eyes, and, as can be expected, both Kurt and Rogue were laughing, Kurt because of the look on Wolverine's face, and Rogue because of the reason for the look on his face. After all, who enjoys being called a 'young man' by someone who is younger than you are?

When Rogue and Kurt had finally calmed down, Rogue was finally able to defend her position on heading out alone.

"I have to go alone. There is no way to get around that. Y'all are strangers in a small town, how do y'all think that'll pan out? I'll tell ya. They'll be suspicious. New men in town, one looking rough around the edges, one who's a Swamp Rat, and one who seems completely out of place with the other two. Yeah, they'll just love that combo. So, the only way to get any information will be to go alone. At least they know me."

"But can't we go with you when you go to see the man at the bank and the lawyer who goes over the will?" Kurt asked.

Rogue shook her head. "No. None of you can go in with me to see my father's account with his lawyer. None of you are related to me by blood and none of you are my husband. That's the only way they would allow any of you guys in with me. They have a privacy policy that only those involved in the business can be present at the time that said business is discussed. Other than that, those who have a vested interest in the business (such as a spouse or blood relation) can be present at that time."

"Yes, sir. It's true. They won't even allow ME to go in. And I've known the family for years." Maddie said in order to support Rogue's statement.

"That's a load of cra….ud," Logan quickly changed his word choice at a look from Maddie.

Rogue smiled at the small interchange between Logan and Maddie. "Well, that's the way it's going to be. Get use to it."

There was a brief silence before Logan ground out, "You're enjoying this, aren't you?"

"Immensely," was the only reply Rogue gave before leaving.

Rogue knew that it would be a better idea to see the lawyer first, in order to figure out the financial difficulties her father had gotten into, as well as seeing to the will. After visiting with the lawyer, she planned on going to the bank to see what her father had left in his safety deposit box.

As she traveled to the lawyer's, she noticed various people looking at her strangely. That was to be expected though. Staying away from a town for over ten years, and then coming back, some people were bound to feel like they knew you but can't quite pinpoint how they knew you.

'Can't believe I'm here. Never wanted to come back. Never…so, why am I here?' Rogue thought. Just as this thought crossed her mind, she passed a small alcove in a building. Inside this alcove was a small park. As Rogue saw this, she began to think of her past in this small town.

Flashback 1 (Start)

A little, red-headed girl, younger than five years old, was playing on the playground equipment.

"Daddy! Look at me!" A much younger Anne Marie yelled to her as she swung even higher on her swing.

"Be careful! I don't want you to fall." Her father yelled back, as he laughed at her antics. Just as he said this, he felt his black cowboy hat being lifted from his head.

His wife smiled at him. "She's just being a kid. Let her be, Honey." They both laughed as they watched their daughter swing on the small swing set.

Flashback 1 (End)

Flashback 2 (Start)

(A few years after the previous flashback)

A girl sat in a swing set. Her multi-colored hair swayed in the breeze. She was alone. In her hand was a small picture of a woman, who looked like the little girl, minus the white streak in her hair. Tears fell down the face of the girl. She was dressed all in black.

Flashback 2 (End)

'Too many memories in this town, and not many of them good memories.' Rogue thought, trying to shake the sudden chill her thoughts had caused. 'Not a bad little town, but I would never want to live here again. Not with how I feel now.'

Just as she said this, a young woman approached her. "Excuse me, miss, I can't help it, but I feel that I know you from somewhere. Have you visited this town before?"

Rogue looked at the woman and knew right away who it was. Carol, her friend from elementary school. Yet, in Rogue's mind, their relationship was anything but friendly.

"You could say that Sugar." Rogue dryly replied. Rogue could practically see the wheels spinning inside Carol's mind. Right now, she probably was wondering why Rogue looked familiar as well as why she sounded familiar too.

"Oh…ok." Carol hesitantly said after the slightly hostile tone Rogue had in her short reply. After a brief, awkward silence, Carol quickly brightened and (with slight embarrassment) quickly blurted out, "How rude of me! I haven't even introduced myself. My name is Carol." Finishing this sentence, Carol waited expectantly for this "stranger" to reply with her own name.

Rogue quickly had to decide whether she wanted to tell Carol who she really was or if she wanted to stay nameless. Knowing that eventually the news was going to get out that she was in town, she decided that she might as well get this meeting over with.

"Most people call me Rogue at my request. Few of the people I hang out with know my real name, but you should remember me. I was born in this town. My name is Anna Marie."

At this declaration, Carol went stock-still. Needless to say, she was shell-shocked. Carol had been the last person to see Rogue before she left their town. She knew that Rogue would never have returned if she was still the same person she had been when she left town. Add to this the antagonistic way Rogue was treating her, Carol knew that although Rogue wasn't the same person who left town many years ago, she still had issues she needed to work out.

"Marie? So…you did come back after all. I was wondering if the rumors were true."

"So, you still listen to rumors, huh? Shouldn't have expected anything else I suppose."

"Now that isn't fair Marie, and you know it!"

"Do I? After all, you're part of the reason I never wanted to come back, or have you forgotten?" Rogue waited for a brief moment before saying, "Nothing to say to that? Thought so." Considering that the end of their conversation, Rogue began to walk off, continuing on her way to the lawyer's office, and all the while her mind was stuck on all the mean things her so-called friend had done and said when Rogue still lived in this town. Rogue didn't know it, but Carol's mind was stuck in the past as well.

(Series of flashbacks)

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"Here, let me help you with that." A little girl with blond hair said to the other girl who had two white streaks in her hair. The second girl had dropped her ice cream while walking back to the swing set and that was what the blond girl was asking to help with.

"Come on, I'll ask my daddy to buy us some more ice cream, okay?"

As the second girl slowly stopped her crying she replied with a small murmured, "Okay." With that one soft response, the two girls ran off to find some ice cream.

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A little blond haired girl was helping up her friend as she told her, "I am so mad. I can't believe that jerk would push you down like that. I'm going to go over there and…"

"Don't bother with it. I'm fine."

"But that little brat thinks he can get away with anything just because he's the mayor's son! That isn't fair!"

"I know, but all he has are people who pretend to be his friends. I have something better than that."

"Yeah and what would that be?"

"You, my best friend."

With that confession most of the anger the blond girl felt drifted away. The two girls began to laugh as they headed back to their classroom.

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"You stole my boyfriend!" Carol yelled at Marie.

"What?" Marie responded, very confused.

"Don't play all innocent. I know you stole him from me. Cindy told me she saw you two together and that she thought you were 'a little too cozy' together."

"You're going to believe that gossip mongering queen bee over me?"

"I already knew that my boyfriend was seeing some other chick before Cindy came to me with that little bit of information on you."

"Yeah. I told you months ago that he was playing you, but you wouldn't listen and to top it off you're going to blame me when the person you should be blaming was the one who fed you false information!"

"Yeah right! Don't give me that. I noticed awhile ago that you were getting a lot more distant lately and now I know why! It's because you were messing around with MY boyfriend. I can't forgive you for that." With that lat statement, Carol stormed out of the room.

'Yeah and what about me…huh? What am I supposed to do now?' Marie thought as she watched her only friend in the world walk right out of her life.

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"Did you hear? Janie told me that Marie hooked up with Cody over the summer." Carol said to her little clique of friends. She knew that this little tidbit of gossip would soon be running through the school.

"But I thought Cody was going out with Liz?"

"I know! Right?"

Carol couldn't wait for the latest gossip to catch Marie's ears.

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"Marie, you'll never make it outside of this town!"

"Yeah! Well, what do you expect me to do inside this town, huh? After everything you started and with everyone listening to what you said about me, do you really think I would be able to survive here? I mean my own Father can't even look at me! Oh! Wait...I forgot…I'm not actually his daughter according to him, so why did I ever expect anything else from this stupid town."

"Marie, you can't leave."

"Yeah? Watch me!"

(End series of Flashbacks)

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End of Chapter 5

IMPORTANT: I am thinking of introducing a bit of romance into this story, possibly a love triangle involving Rogue, Gambit, and Wolverine. Please let me know what you think.

Until Next Time,

Blazin-ember